The regiment was created, on August 1 1688, by Colonel Carl Philipp Baron von Wylich zu Lottum. A large part of its soldiers were French Huguenots (protestant) who had left France after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685.

The regiment was initially stationed at Wesel.

During the War of the Spanish Succession, the regiment saw action at the capture of Rheinberg and Geldern, and at the battles of Blenheim (August 13, 1704), Oudenarde (July 11, 1708) and Malplaquet (September 11, 1709).

At the beginning of the War of the Polish Succession, the regiment was transferred to Ruppin and Nauen and the Kronprinz (future Frederick II) obtained its colonelcy.

In 1740, when Frederick II acceded to the throne of Prussia, the regiment became his “Regiment Garde” and the first battalion his “Leibgarde” under his direct command. Its second battalion came mostly from the Grenadier Garde while a third battalion was formed with troops contributed by the entire Prussian army. From that year, the regiment garrisoned Potsdam and filled its ranks from the regiments of the Prussian Army. Draft could also be raised in the “Royal Canton” of the Silesian mountains.

During the War of the Austrian Succession, the regiment fought at Chotusitz (May 17, 1742), Hohenfriedberg (June 4, 1745) and Soor (September 30, 1745).

Since February 29 1732, this regiment belonged to Frederick II, as Kronprinz till 1740, and then as King.

During the Seven Years' War, the II. and III. Battalions of the regiment were under the command of:

from February 5 1760 to May 7 1771: Wichard Joachim Heinrich von Möllendorff

The numbering system (Stammliste) was first used by Leopold I., Fürst von Anhalt-Dessau (Der alte Dessauer) in the Dessauer Spezifikation from 1737. Around 1780 the numbers were used in the printed Stammlisten, still with some variations for the fusilier regiments. It became official by "Cabinets-Ordre" from October 1, 1806. The present infantry regiment was attributed number 15.

Line of tradition: In 1914 the 7th and 8th Company of the 1st Garde-Regiment zu Fuß. After WWI in the Reichswehr and later in the Wehrmacht 1st Company Infantery Regiment 9. Today in the Bundeswehr, the tradition is carried by the “Wachbatallion” (Guard battalion). The motto of the batallion is "Semper Talis". Today the "Wachbataillon" is stationed in the Julius-Leber-Kaserne in Berlin-Wedding and in the Brückberg-Kaserne in Siegburg. It has about 1.800 soldiers in eight companies.

Service during the War

On August 26 1756, when the Prussian Army was ordered to proceed to the invasion of Saxony, the regiment was part of the centre column led by Frederick II. More precisely, it belonged to Keith's Corps. The centre column had concentrated at Brietzen and advanced unopposed upstream along the Elbe River by Torgau and Wittenberg, leaving Meissen to its left. On September 6, it encamped at Rothschönberg and finally reached Wilsdruf. While the Prussian main army moved forward to engage the Austrian Army at Lobositz (October 1), the II and III battalions remained in the Pirna Country to maintain the blockade of the Saxon Army which surrendered on October 17. The defeated Saxon Army had to pass between two battalions of Prussian Gardes and were then received by two battalions of the Prinz von Preußen Infantry.

On May 6 1757, the III. Battalion of the regiment did not take part in the Battle of Prague. It was rather deployed on the left bank of the Moldau near the Weissenberg as part of Keith's Corps. At the end of August, the II. And III. Battalions of the regiment were part of the small Prussian army hastily assembled at Dresden by Frederick to head towards Thuringia and to repulse the Franco-Imperial invasion Saxony. On August 30, they accompanied Frederick in the vanguard when the army left Dresden. On November 5, at the Battle of Rossbach, they were deployed in the first line of the infantry right wing under Lieutenant-General Ferdinand Prince of Brunswick. On December 5, at the Battle of Leuthen, the second and third battalions of the regiment were deployed in Prince Francis of Brunswick's Brigade in the first line of the infantry centre. At about 2:30 p.m., these two battalions along with the Grenadier Garde were hurled against the village of Leuthen. A dreadful and destructive contest of infantry ensued with the Austrians defending the village with extraordinary determination. With the help of the entire infantry left wing, the Prussian elite units finally prevailed. From December 7 to 20, these two battalions were at the siege and capture of Breslau.

From March to July 1758, the second and third battalions took part in the unsuccessful invasion of Moravia. On October 14, they fought in the Battle of Hochkirch where they were initially deployed in the centre of the first line: the second battalion at the village of Wawitz, the third at Rodewitz. Frederick despatched Möllendorf with the third battalion to seize Drehsa Height and secure a line of retreat. The third battalion suffered heavily in this battle, losing 13 officers and 618 men.

N.B.: During the war the grenadiers from the wing grenadier companies were put together with the grenadiers of Infantry Regiment 18 forming the Grenadier Batallion 15/18 (please refer to this article for the details of the service of the grenadiers during the war).

Uniform

The uniforms depicted in this section were introduced in 1740 when the regiment became the Regiment Garde.

The guard had no musketeers, regardless of their headgear all soldiers were considered grenadiers.

Prussian blue lined red with 2 silver lace loops on each side under the lapels, 1 silver lace loop on each side in the small of the back and with 3 pewter buttons on each side to fasten the skirts forming the turnbacks

Collar

red

Shoulder Straps

red fastened with a small pewter button on the left shoulder and a silver and white aiguillette on the right shoulder

one white belt over the left shoulder for the cartridge box and one narrower white belt over the right shoulder for the haversack

Waistbelt

white

Cartridge Box

black

Bayonet Scabbard

brown

Scabbard

brown

Footgear

black shoes

Privates were armed with a musket, a bayonet and a sabre with a curved blade.

NCOs

NCOs wore uniforms similar to those of the privates with the following distinctions:

tricorne with wide silver lace and black and white quartered pompoms

silver edged collar

all silver lace loops with a silver tassel

no shoulder strap

yellowish leather gloves

black and white sabre tassel

NCOs were armed with a sabre and a yellow half-pikes measuring 10 Rhenish feet (3.06 m.) in the musketeer companies and 13 Rhenish feet (4.10 m.) in the grenadier companies (carried by the 3 most senior NCOs while other grenadier NCOs were armed with rifled muskets since 1744).

NCOs also carried canes (normally attached to a button at the top of the right front while carrying the half-pike).

Musicians

The uniforms of the drummers were similar to those of the privates but had much more elaborate lacing (drummer lace consisting of a white lace decorated with one red stripe (narrow lace) or two red stripes (wide lace)) and other peculiarities:

no shoulder strap

collar edged with the drummer lace

red and silver aiguillette on the right shoulder

5 vertical narrow drummer laces on each shoulder

each sleeve decorated with 8 horizontal narrow laces arranged in chevrons bordered by 2 vertical wide laces, one on each side of the chevrons

Colours

Since the I. Leibgarde Bataillon carried the colonel colour (Leibfahne) of the regiment, the second and third battalions carried only regimental colours.

Regimental colours (Kompaniefahnen): Field consisting of alternating white and silver vertical stripes. Centre device consisting of a blue medallion speckled in crimson surrounded by a gold and silver laurel wreath and surmounted by a gold crown. The medallion is decorated with a black eagle holding a sword and lightning bolts surmounted by a white scroll bearing the golden motto "Pro Gloria et Patria". Corner monograms consisted of a gold crowns, gold and silver laurel wreaths and a golden FR ciphers.